August 8, 2025 • 59 mins
What does it really mean to build tomorrow's women leaders? In this illuminating conversation with Lynn Fugit from the Girl Scouts of Southern Appalachians, we uncover the profound impact this historic organization has on young girls and the communities they serve.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the
volunteer state.
Yvonca and her guests discusseverything from life, love and
business with a Tennessee flair.
It's a Tennessee thing, alwaysrelatable, always relevant and
always a good time.
This is Talkin' Tennessee, andnow your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This episode is brought to you by the Landis
team, your go-to real estatefamily in East Tennessee.
If you are looking to buy orsell, we are the ones you should
call.
Give us a call at 865-660-1186or check out our website at
YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom.
That's YonneCa Y-V-O-N-N-C-ASalesRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonne Ca
.
I am your host and I'm herewith a dear friend that y'all
are going to love.
Her name is Lynn Fugit, fromthe Girl Scouts of the Southern
Appalachians.
Welcome to Talking Tennessee,thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm looking so forward to chatting with you
today.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Most definitely.
Well, the first question isprobably one of the most
important ones who is Lynn?
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Lynn is somebody who tries really hard to do the
right thing care about hercommunity, care about people.
Who enjoys relationships verymuch.
(01:37):
A relationship person.
I like being around people andI like staying busy.
Some people say that's too much, but I really like that, but
that's what makes you happy.
But yeah, I enjoy being activeinvolved in the community.
(02:02):
Truly, bloom where you'replanted.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Bloom, where you're planted.
I agree with you Viewers.
Let me say this I have notknown her along, and when I say
my friend because I can tell youthis, we've been together for a
few minutes in this room beforewe came on here.
But I can totally see afriendship in you because your
(02:25):
spirit is so bright.
When you walked in the room,before you said anything, you
greeted me with a smile and youjust went into just being nice,
being kind and welcoming to yourplace.
What is it?
The Girl Scouts.
(02:46):
I was a Girl Scout when I was ayoung girl and the Girl Scouts
did a lot for me.
Lynn, I grew up in Harriman,tennessee, small town, 7,000
people, not a big city, but GirlScouts was big in Rome County
city, but Girl Scouts was big inRome County and it was one way
for the community to cometogether.
(03:07):
We brought bread together and alot of older women two younger
women really poured into me whenI was a Girl Scout and so
coming back, it's like what yousaid off camera, it's like a
surreal experience for mebecause y'all poured so much
(03:29):
into me.
So I want to say thank you.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Certainly it's funny On behalf of anybody that's ever
been a Girl Scout.
I think we all feel that way.
I think you learn a lot thatyou didn't know.
You were learning when you wereyoung and on this side, when
you get a little age on you,maybe you really figure out some
of those silly activities ormaking a sit-upon or a bunsen
(03:57):
burner going hiking, just beingwith people.
It teaches you a lot that youdidn't know it was teaching you
at the time, and so I do.
I meet a lot of women say itreally is a full circle moment
because back when they come incontact again with Girl Scouts
it reminds them of all thewonderful things that happened
(04:21):
to them.
I mean, I have first Girl Scoutstories.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yes, and you know, the biggest thing that I would
say about this organization I'mtalking about from experience is
it didn't matter how much moneyyou had, it didn't matter where
you came from, the color ofyour skin, it didn't matter
about anything.
It was just if you were a younggirl that wanted to join an
(04:45):
organization and be fed and whenI say being fed, I'm not
talking about food, I'm talkingabout to your soul, because at
that time, when you first becomea Girl Scout, you don't know
who you are.
And it helps you to find out whoyou are at a young age and you
(05:05):
will change and transform.
But you learn the simple thingsof being a young girl and so
when I would sit down, when we'dcome to our meets and
everything and we'd do thecrafts, that was like everything
to me.
You know, I will say a lot ofpeople know the Girl Scouts for
different reasons.
(05:25):
One of the greatest reasons isthe cookies.
But Girl Scouts is more than acookie and I want to show on my
podcast what Girl Scouts reallydo.
Do you agree with me on that?
Oh, how?
Speaker 4 (05:40):
long do we have?
I mean, I absolutely agree andI'm glad you mentioned that,
because a lot of people thinkall we are is cookies, camp and
crafts.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Well, cookies camp and crafts can teach you a lot
of things.
Can the cookie program, though?
I think people really need tounderstand it is a fundraiser.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
It really is.
It is a fundraiser, it is afundraiser it really is.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
It is a fundraiser.
Girl Scout Council's about 75%to 80% of their operating budget
comes from the sale of cookies.
It's not just a nice product,right, women had to sell things
because they did not have theirown money.
Speak on it.
Men had jobs.
Men owned companies.
Men donated the money.
(06:24):
Speak on it.
Men had jobs.
Men owned companies, mendonated the money.
So when Girl Scouts started, theonly way a girl or a woman had
money for dues or to do anythingwas she asked her daddy or her
husband.
That's true, and so JulietGordon Lowe was truly a
(06:45):
trailblazer when she startedthis thing in 1912, before women
ever even had the right to vote.
1912.
1912.
And now you've got me wound upand I can talk about this for a
while, because it is such if youunderstand the history, you
understand why the organizationis the way it is and how much it
has changed and evolved withthe times and what girls have
(07:07):
learned.
Back then they learned a lot ofdomestic things and in the war
they were doing war work,learning first aid and all these
kind of things.
But back to the fundraisingpiece.
It really Juliette Gordon-Lowedecided that she wanted girls to
know how to raise money forthemselves, so that they didn't
(07:28):
always have to ask.
Well, women didn't have verymany jobs, so what girls do?
They sold things to raise money.
So in the 1940s a troop inOklahoma was the first troop
that baked cookies in theirovens and they started selling
cookies to fund the Girl Scouts.
(07:49):
And then, as that has gonealong, it became more
professional.
There are more Girl Scoutcouncils.
There are 111 of us across theUnited States and one in Girl
Scouts overseas for all ourmilitary bases.
And girls learn how to make aplan, how to set some goals.
(08:12):
You know they can earn rewards.
And then they learn how to talkto people.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
You'll see girls come out of their shell.
I joke and then we can talkabout something else if you want
to.
But I'm a finance major.
I was a banker forever and thenthis is my back nine of my
career.
I say I get to use all thatfinancial knowledge to run an
organization that is great forgirls and our community.
But that was your journey.
(08:41):
But that was my journey.
But what I thought so funny is,if you go to a cookie booth, I
challenge you this year.
Next time you go to a cookiebooth, okay, look for a career
path.
And who's at that cookie booth?
The girl that steps out infront and is talking to you and
asking you if you want to buycookies.
She's probably going to be insales or marketing.
She likes people.
She's out doing that.
(09:03):
The girl that will take yourmoney might be a financial
person.
She wants to make sure we gotpaid for that.
Keep all my money in place,make sure we know what we're
doing.
Then there's the girl who'smaking sure that the booth is
stocked and she'll be in theback looking in the wagon to see
(09:23):
if you need more s'mores or areyou running low on Thin Mints.
And then she might send herstaff the parent to the car to
get some more.
But I just watch.
I just look at those booths andsay I never thought about it
that way.
These girls are running a littlebusiness.
They are, and they don't evenknow it.
And that's the best way youlearn it's fun, and they don't
(09:47):
even know it.
And that's the best way youlearn it's fun.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
And you don't even know you're learning.
I truly agree and I think thatI think every young girl needs
to learn independence, that theyneed to know how to take care
of themselves.
And when you're in Girl Scouts,there are different exercises
and things that you do that your, your troop, is going to depend
(10:10):
on you for a certain thingright, and so I think that part
is what sets you apart.
You know, like what you werebreaking down at the booth, you
know so many young girls will goin finance, they will go into
putting things together.
And I will say this one thingthat sticks out to me when I was
(10:32):
a Girl Scout was community.
We went out in the community.
Yes, we helped build up ourcommunity and we made a
difference.
There were so many stories thatyou would hear while you're
sitting at the booth that youwould hear someone walk up and
say I was a Girl Scout, right,and they would tell their
experience as a Girl Scout andthey would talk about oh, when I
(10:54):
have a child, I want, if I havea daughter, I want my daughter
to be a Girl Scout.
It's just building yourcommunity.
You know, with a sweet treat itis.
You know, if you think about it,it's a sweet treat and we all
like to eat, you know.
But I think that it's buildingup confidence in women to say
you know what, you can take careof yourself and this is how you
(11:17):
do it, and let's teach theseyoung girls at a young age you
can make it.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Yes, and to try something.
Try something, that's true,because the other thing I found
is you know, I tell people youcan be a Girl Scout and not love
camping out overnight.
That's me.
But I've done it.
I tried it, I didn't hate it, Iliked it, I learned a lot about
myself.
But that's the other thing.
(11:43):
If you're in a group with othergirls and you learn, I say this
is where we teach childrentoday that compromise is not a
dirty word.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Sometimes our grownups forget that, but it's
not a dirty word.
That's really how progress getsmade, you have to compromise,
and so somebody wants to do thisand somebody wants to do that,
and somebody else has an idea todo another badge they want to
work on.
Well, you try whateverso-and-so wants to work on.
You learn something about it,and then maybe you all come
(12:15):
together and say this is the onething we really all want to do,
and then that's great too, butyou just but you learn that at a
young age.
But you learn that at a youngage, and that is the beginning
of teaching civics, and theydon't even really know it.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, but you know, the biggest thing is there are
so many boardrooms we go in,there are so many conference
rooms we go in and there's atable there and there's chairs
there.
That's a girl scout.
That's a Girl Scout If youthink about it.
So many women go in theboardrooms, have the positions
that they bring people togetherto make decisions, build things
(12:54):
and create things to strive inyour community.
And you learn that at a youngage as a Girl Scout.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Yeah, and I'm sorry, I just clearly.
I like what I do, becausethere's so much I want to tell
you, because I think too, one ofthe things that the so the
fundraiser is also a fundraiserfor the troops, but a lot of
times what they do is they usetheir money to do community
service projects.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
And see, I don't think people stop to think about
that no, no.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
It's not talked about much.
I don't think communities haveany idea really how much is done
in their community by GirlScout troops.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes, I agree.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
You'll see a buddy bench somewhere, or food that
gets taken to the animalshelters or creek cleanups or
things like that.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
litter pickups so viewers are you hearing what
she's saying?
She's telling you things thatGirl Scouts do out in the
community, that they don't raisetheir hand and say, look at me,
look at me, look at me, butthey help build up their
community.
So it's not about just thecookies.
The cookies are great, we alllove them and we all should buy
(14:02):
them, and I highly recommendthem because they got really
good flavors.
But Girl Scouts do way morethan that.
They strengthen women at a veryvital time in their life.
My next question is whatinspired you to come to Girl
Scouts?
You were in finance.
What made you want to do this?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Scouts.
You were in finance.
What made you want to do this?
Well, as I told some youngwomen that I spoke to at the
Haslam School a long time ago,if you really want a great
career, always take the phonecall, because you never know
what opportunities on the otherside.
So I'm minding my own businessat my desk and I get a phone
call from a headhunter that saysGirl Scouts are looking for a
CEO.
Would you talk to us?
And I said sure, because I wasa Girl Scout Right and thought
(14:51):
it's a great organization.
Let's see.
And you know, learned about it.
And again I said you know I'vealways wanted to do something,
that I want to be good at what Ido, do the right thing.
Give back and bloom where you're, but I want to be good at what
I do, do the right thing andbloom where you're planted, give
back.
Well, girl Scouts taught me howto be a good citizen, and being
(15:13):
a good citizen is saying yesand finding opportunities where
you think you can make adifference.
And as we interviewed more, Ithought you know, I was a Girl
Scout.
I have worked in what have beenformerly traditionally male
fields.
(15:34):
I grew up my sister and I werethe only girls on our block with
12 little boys.
I raised two sons and I thoughtthis is a time for me to
actually get to do somethingthat will benefit girls, because
somebody did it for you when Iwas a Girl Scout.
(15:55):
And I also say and I thinkpeople really need to think
about this you know, I'm not theperson in our council that's
running summer camp.
I'm not the person in ourcouncil that's running summer
camp.
I'm not the person in ourcouncil that's running the troop
meetings.
But the gifts and talents Ihave I'm using to make sure that
(16:18):
the foundation is there so thatthe people who have the gifts I
don't have can then pour intothe girls.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
And you know what.
That's a good point, becauseI'm a believer that we're on
earth for a reason and I'm ofthe belief there's two types of
people there's givers andthere's takers.
There's givers and there'stakers and you got to figure out
which one you are and I hopeyou lean to going.
(16:48):
If you are a taker, you becomea giver and you get up every day
and you come in and, yes, it'syour job, but at the same time
you're giving back to yourcommunity and you're saying,
okay, I was a Girl Scout, youknow, I know what it's like
firsthand, and let me help buildup young women so that our
(17:10):
world is even better year afteryear.
You know that to me is saying,hey, I'm making a difference.
And I want to make a difference.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Well, yes, it's just the right thing to do it is.
Because somebody's got to takemy place.
We really I served on the Boardof Education too, and my mother
was a teacher, grandmother, allthese people, and so I
understand how important it isfor people to pour into young
(17:46):
people, because we always sayteachers are building the future
.
Yes, you know, they are thefuture.
Well, it's more than theirresponsibility it is.
And so, again, that's where Italk about my gifts and talents.
I could be a PTA president, Icould be on the Board of
Education.
I could not teach in theclassroom.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Right.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So all that to say, I look around at who runs things.
We look around like who'srunning this, who's running that
?
A company, the Sunday schoolclass, any kind of community
organization.
It takes people to make ithappen.
(18:29):
It does.
And I look around and think,okay, who's going to replace
those of us that do that?
Well, we have to start teachingyoung people that you do and
you've got to come out of yourcomfort zone and you have to say
raise your hand.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yes, that's good, raise your hand.
You've got to come out of yourcomfort zone and you have to say
you know, raise your hand.
Yes, that's good, raise yourhand.
That is a good one.
And I'm going to tell you whyit's good, because I believe
that I say this on my FacebookLives all the time get off the
couch and do something.
And the reason why I say thatis you can't take, take, take.
(19:05):
And then say, okay, this worldis horrible.
It starts with you, has tostart with you of what am I
doing to try to make the world abetter place?
And if you never, if you justtake and I'm not saying we all
take care of our family and weall want to do all these
different things, but the truesacrifice is when you go out in
(19:28):
the community and you go help astranger that you don't know.
Of course you're going to wantto help your kids, of course
you're going to want to helpyour spouse, but I think the
real big thing that God islooking for us to do is are you
going to help the people in yourcommunity?
Are you going to listen tosomeone that needs to be heard?
(19:49):
You know, are you going to tellthis young girl, okay, that
thinks that she's not pretty?
Are you going to help thislittle girl find the beauty in
her.
That's what Girl Scouts to mereally helped me.
I wanted to share a story.
That's what Girl Scouts to mereally helped me.
I wanted to share a story whenI was in the Girl Scouts, I was
(20:10):
in gymnastics and I fell off thebeam just before I was coming
to Girl Scouts because my motherhad me in everything and I fell
off and I injured my hand.
So that meant Ivanka had to sitout and I'll never forget going
to our meet and all the younggirls is there or whatever, and
(20:30):
I was just really, really justbummed, sad.
I felt like I had let my teamdown.
I felt like I let my parentsdown.
I felt like I was just reallythe messed up kid for falling
off this bed.
The young people in our meet andthe parents that volunteered
(20:55):
spoke life in me literally dayin, day out.
But that first day when Ireally needed someone to say to
me it's going to be okay, it'sgoing to be okay Saying that to
somebody and really getting themto believe that that is a big
(21:17):
thing in young girls.
It's going to be okay, becausea lot of times when things
happen to young girls they thinkit's going to be.
You know it's going to destroyeverything in their life, you
know.
But we have to teach younggirls that it's going to be okay
.
And you know what If you have tosit out for two weeks, or I
can't remember how long I had tosit out, but the whole thing
(21:37):
was that everybody that wasthere was telling me I was going
to be okay and that I would getpast it.
And so that's what, girl Scouts, what sticks out in my mind.
I'll never forget that day, andso, to every person that was in
that room, thank you fortelling me it's going to be okay
, because there's been manytimes in my adult life that
(21:58):
something happened oh yeah, atragedy, a death or something
that somebody didn't tell me wasgoing to be okay.
But I remember when I heard itwas going to be okay as a Girl
Scout, and so that's anexperience for me.
Can you share a story that,when you were a Girl Scout, it
may not have been an it's goingto be okay moment, but a moment
(22:21):
that you'd say you know itreally showed me that I was
supposed to be in that roominstead of being wherever.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
Don't, I'm a little older than you.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
That's further back for me to think.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
So I'm not sure that I can think around, that is.
What we know is that girls areliving in even more difficult
times than you and I did.
I agree, and very judgmentaltimes and what they need are
people who say it'll be okay,and I've got you and you did
(23:00):
well and good for trying.
And a hug, and sometimes a kickin the pants if you need it.
Accountability, and quittelling yourself to feel sorry
for yourself.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
I agree.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
But I think that's what belonging is about, and
that's what Girl Scouts is about.
All young people need a senseof belonging.
They will find it in good thingsor in bad things, that is true,
and so we are the good thingthat they can find belonging in,
and I do think, talking abouthow you felt with the Girl
(23:36):
Scouts, that made me feel thatway.
I also know that from one ofthe last things they had us
watch as a pre-read before wewent to our Girl Scout national
meeting was a podcast.
(23:58):
No, it was a Netflixdocumentary called Join or Die,
join or Die, join or Die, andit's about the story, the
research that Robert Putnam did.
You've probably heard about him.
He wrote a book 20 years agocalled Bowling Alone how more
and more people are taking upactivities but they're doing it
(24:20):
alone, and that when our countrywas the strongest and community
was the strongest and peoplehad more confidence in the way
things were going, they were incommunity with one another yes
so, uh you, you're beginning tosee membership and organizations
(24:40):
drop and as that drops thesense of connectedness to other
people, drops the getting in mylittle space and I only talk to
people that look like me orthink
Speaker 3 (24:53):
like me or that speak on it and so um.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
That's why we use the word a lot belonging because
and everybody wants to feel likethey belong.
It's not where you are included, it's where you belong and uh
and that breaks what you saidyou experience racial religious
(25:18):
income.
You know it.
It's real easy to like somebodythat you do something with and,
oh, they may go to a differentchurch or they may not go to
church, or they may do it, butyou like them, they're a good
person and you can talk to themabout things and it stretches
you and it stretches them and itis better for community.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
It really is, and you've got to have some
leadership.
What does Girl Scoutsleadership mean in today's world
?
Your opinion?
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Well, I think as an organization, we are a leader in
understanding girls and we aredesigned our whole program is
designed around thedevelopmental progress of a girl
.
So I've talked about you knowall the different things Like
(26:13):
you can learn STEM, outdoor lifeskills, and one of the life
skill things that's really nearand dear to me is basically our
citizenship or our democracybadges.
Well, developmentdevelopmentally.
You can earn that in every agegroup because you learn a little
bit about it as a daisy andthen as a brownie yeah so you're
(26:35):
learning more and more and moreabout these same tracks as you
get older.
So I think there's leadershipand understanding girl
development, okay.
And then there is leadership inspeaking about what girls need,
but what the girl is getting islearning how to lead based on
(27:01):
who she is, because you can leadin lots of different ways.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
You don't always have to be in the front of the room
you don't, and so, leading fromthe chair, you're in and I think
a lot of times people think Ithink a lot of young girls think
they have to be pushed outthere.
There is a lot of things thaton the back end of it you, you
(27:29):
bring together any event,there's going to be people on
the back end, the front end, themiddle end.
Every and every one of thosepeople are important because
it's for the greater good andeverybody coming together to
make that event or whatever itis successful.
But if you think that, oh, ifI'm not on the front, I'm on the
(27:52):
back, I'm less than.
That's the one thing that GirlScouts does not teach you.
Girl Scouts teaches you thateverybody's important, yes,
everybody's position isimportant.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Yes, you know we don't necessarily talk a lot
about football at Girl Scouts,but we do live in East Tennessee
, so we all know about football.
But you know it's like everyposition on any sport.
Every position is valuable orit wouldn't be there, it
(28:23):
wouldn't be.
And so that's the same way thatyou learn in a company, in your
family, in your church or yoursynagogue or your mosque, any
place that you, your house ofworship, any organization you
belong to, everybody's got arole.
I joke around here that Istrike fear in the heart when I
(28:45):
walk in somebody's office andsay I've been thinking and
they're like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
They're like oh Lord, here she goes, here she comes.
What is she going to come upwith now?
But they all joke.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
It's like that is my job.
It is, that is my job.
Other people's job here is tosay, lynn, that sounds great,
but we've got to make thishappen and this happen and this
happen, and I'm not sure that wecan do that the timeline you
want, but it's not.
Oh, what are you talking about?
It's let's figure this out.
(29:14):
Will this work?
And you can't not tell yourself, well, they're the negative
Nelly telling me no, no, they'retrying to make sure I don't go
running out into I-40.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Are y'all hearing what she's saying?
Because I think a lot of timesnowadays, if you don't agree
with someone, people take it aspersonal, they take it as a hit.
You know that type thing.
But sometimes you need someoneto tell you you may have the
best idea, okay, but it may notbe the time, you know, and
(29:51):
timing is everything.
And what she's saying is isthat, okay, she may have an idea
, but she's going to go to herstaff and say, hey, here's the
idea, and she knows her staff isthe ones is going to help her,
look at the logistics of it allto see if it can be pulled off.
But if you never allow yourselfto be told, okay, no, this may
(30:15):
not be the time, or whatever,that's not saying no, it's just
saying time is everything.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
And it's also, as a leader, my opportunity sometimes
to tell people, yeah, we can.
Yes, yeah, you can stretchyourself, you can do it.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
You can do it and you have to hold people accountable
on not saying we can't do itbecause you're wanting to,
because they're scared.
Because they're scared, andsome people will call it lazy or
somebody will call it whateverwords you want to use, but it
could be anything, you know.
But don't ask somebody else'sdream because you're scared of
(30:52):
something, and I think that GirlScouts teaches us that Give and
take, give and take, it's agive and take thing.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
So tell me this how do you help young girls become a
leader in these days?
Well, I think just that themethodology of the troop meeting
, learning to find your voice,saying what you want to do, and
(31:21):
I love the story that I heard ofone troop that they were
seniors.
And by the time those girlsbecame seniors in high school
they were an amalgamation ofgirls that started all over this
county in different brownietroops.
They liked Girl Scouts and, asgirls, started falling away to
(31:41):
do different things.
So the way they led was by thetime they were all working on
their gold award, which is thehighest award a Girl Scout can
earn.
They helped listen to eachother while they worked on their
project.
They encouraged the girl whowas doing her own, and then they
supported whatever herinterests were, and then they
(32:02):
supported whatever her interestswere Okay, and so I think that
tells me we've taught girls thatyou lead also by cheering one
another on yes and not comparing.
And it doesn't even have to bewhat you like.
But, if you care about theperson and you lead the other
way.
We teach them to lead issometimes it's your
(32:24):
responsibility to plan theactivity and if something you
forgot to get something, well,that's a life lesson.
You learned the other thing inthe planning of these service
projects.
They do the bronze award, thesilver award and the gold award.
So bronze awards are done bytroops when they're in fourth
and fifth grade and they pick acommunity issue that they want
(32:47):
to work on and they plan howthey're going to do it and
they'll do a project.
So it's a lot of learn by doingleadership, by figuring out
what you want to do, how youhave to do it.
A gold award you find acommunity mentor to help you
work on your project and youhave to plan it, raise the funds
(33:14):
to implement it and thenexecute it, and it has to be
something that is sustainable.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Okay, and so just putting that together is
leadership?
It is, and you can take thoseteachings throughout your life,
because being a leader, there'sdifferent types of leaders.
There's a young leader tobecoming an adult and leading in
a different way, even in age40s, to 50s to 60s and going on.
I think that a lot of peopledon't realize that you learn how
(33:53):
to lead even better and perfecthow being a leader the older
you get, do you agree?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Well, yes, practice about everything makes you
better.
So the more you practice, thatI also think we teach g irls to
lead by learning to fail.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Speak on it.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
Well, again, I told you, like I learned, that there
are some things that I don'treally like, but I was
challenged to try them.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Okay, and you've got to have people that will
challenge, yes, and I think alot of times people will want
success, but there's a lot ofchallenge in success.
Before you get there, you willbe challenged it depends on what
you call fail.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
I mean, fail is just, you know, did you fail or did
you just mess up and now you trya different way?
So I love to talk about this.
Looking at girls at summer campwith our rock climbing tower
Okay, rock climbing tower and ifyou are ever out there, when a
(35:03):
troop is out there and they'relearning to do this, there'll be
girls that are ready to gorunning at the top.
And then there'll be girls likeme that waited and watched.
I don't think I can do that.
I don't want to do that.
I'm scared to do that.
I'll look stupid.
I can't get up there.
I might be too heavy.
(35:24):
I don't know if I can do that.
Speak on it and they just say,yeah, you can, yeah, you can.
And the absolute mayhem thatbreaks out when the last girl
who thought she couldn't do itdoes it.
Girls are happier for her thanthey are for themselves.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
Do you hear that I was about to say?
I bet you?
They're all cheering her on.
And let me just say this as awoman, you know we have our
insecurities and you've got tosurround yourself with people
that are going to hold youaccountable but at the same time
they're going to love on youand they're going to speak life
(36:09):
in you in ways that, even whenyou feel defeated because
they're speaking life in you, itmakes you want to get up and do
even better things.
Do you agree with?
Speaker 4 (36:22):
that, yes, and I think the other thing that we're
teaching girls about leadershipthrough that example I've just
gave you is that success is nota finite.
There's not a finite amountother people can succeed to so
you can cheer each other on.
I mean, there used to be thisscarcity mindset If I made it to
(36:45):
the boardroom, I was going tobe the only woman that made it
to the boardroom, or if I becamethe first vice president of
whatever.
Well, there'd only be one femaleat the executive table, and I
better make sure I hang on tothat.
I think what we're teachinggirls by cheering one another on
(37:09):
is that there's room at the topfor everybody.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
It really is.
And I heard someone say and Ispeak on this quite often as an
example I heard someone say tome one day I want to own the
table.
And to me that was jarring tome and I'm going to tell you why
.
Because I'm like then if you'resaying you want to own the
table, then that means you don'twant anybody else's opinion,
(37:35):
you want it to all be your way.
And to me that's ego driven, tosay that why not have a table
full of really strong peoplethat is working together to
succeed together, to me, that'sbetter.
You know, for everybody tosucceed, why do you need to own
the table?
You know, because you're goingto be by yourself eventually.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that you hear from
great business leaders or greatleaders is surround themselves
with really great leaders too.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
And like-minded.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
And just people that challenge you and encourage you
to make you better.
But I think that's reallyimportant for girls to
understand that you can lead indifferent ways.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Everybody's got their own style, I agree um, and
sometimes you need to adjust,even in relationships and
friendships.
You know it doesn't meansomeone is a bad friend or
anything like that, butsometimes you outgrow each other
and you could.
You can still cheer that personon, even if it's from afar, and
I think that you learn a lotabout yourself.
(38:52):
Yes, you learn a lot aboutyourself and you learn that you
can like different things.
I can.
I'm in my fifties and I know,with a shadow of a doubt, the
woman I was in my forties.
I'm a better woman in my 50s,not saying that I was a bad
woman in my 40s, but I justlearned a lot, you know and did.
(39:15):
Did I fail at things?
Probably yeah, but it was okay,because everything is not made
for you, valka, and I had to tryit to see if it was for me.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
See, that was a Girl Scout coming out in you.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
You see what I'm saying Try it and move on.
You got to try it.
And if I can say anything toyoung girls out here and women
out here, older women, you gotto try things to be able to know
what you can do.
And let's talk about thecookies oh what the cookies.
(39:50):
Please tell my viewers what allthe cookie drive does well, it
pays for everything.
Speaker 4 (39:59):
Do y'all hear that?
I mean, um, again, about 75percent of a 75 to 80% in some
councils even more.
All the money that funds thecamp properties, the offices,
the professional staff, theactivities that girls get to do,
(40:20):
all those things come from thecookie.
You know, yes, there's privatephilanthropy.
We need more than that and weneed more people to donate to
Girl Scouts as a philanthropy.
A lot of people think, oh, thecookies pay for it all.
No 75%, and we would prefer notto depend that much on the
(40:43):
cookie, but less than 2% of allphilanthropic dollars in the
United States are spent on girlorganizations.
Really Less than 2% Of allphilanthropic dollars.
Speaker 3 (40:58):
Are y'all?
Speaker 4 (40:59):
hearing that.
So not an excuse, it's just weneed to have more people
understand that Girl Scouts is aphilanthropy, not just a retail
cookie market.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
Are y'all hearing?
Speaker 4 (41:14):
that we are a 501c3 nonprofit and, like all
nonprofits, it takes funds torun.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
It does.
Speaker 4 (41:25):
And so girls, like I said just, traditionally raised
the money by selling a product,and they're learning how to do
business, yes, and it isbusiness Good business One of
the things I love about you know.
back in the day, you know, youjust walked around door to door.
That was the only way to sellthem Right.
(41:46):
And then they came up withorder cards and you started
using the network of yourfriends and family or going to
church and taking an order cardand that kind of thing.
Well, now our girls arelearning omni-channel marketing.
You know that buzzword.
Everybody says that they selldigitally.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
I did not know that buzzword everybody says so, they
sell digitally and they have.
I did not.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Yes, yes, and then they have retail operations with
a booth and they?
Speaker 3 (42:12):
um.
So when you see the girl scoutcookies at the walmart's and all
the different stores that outthere just know to support Girl
Scouts, buy at least three, fourboxes at a time, or whatever
you can afford, but just knowit's going to a great cause.
(42:33):
You were about to say something.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
I was about to say and if you don't eat cookies or
you don't like cookies, or theOzempic effect makes you think
you don't need a cookie, westill want a cookie.
What I will say is one of thethings that we do is we ask
folks to make a donation and thecookies that we own that you
(42:57):
didn't want to take home withyou, we give to Friends of the
Troop and they mail thosecookies all across the world to
our service, men and womendeployed and did y'all know that
places?
we also to put a smile on ontroops faces oh yes, and and
make them feel a sense of homeoh, yes, I'll interrupt this
(43:21):
announcement to tell you about astory.
Go ahead.
So I was.
We were having a meeting oneday and somebody the head of
marketing came and said there'sa gentleman out here working on
our computers and he'd like tospeak to you.
And I thought, oh, he's goingto tell me I need a whole new
system or something, and you'relike, oh, I don't need that
(43:43):
today.
I don't know if I want to talkto him.
And I walked out and he saidma'am, you don't know me, but I
want you to know that I wasdeployed to Afghanistan and when
Girl Scout cookies came, itmade us feel like home had come.
(44:04):
Well, he got teary, I got teary.
I could be teary right now if Idon't watch it, watch myself.
And he just said I don't thinkyou know how much that meant to
me and the men I served with.
We couldn't tell the peoplethat actually sent it to us, but
(44:28):
I just wanted you to know,because I bet y'all do it too.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
So for that gentleman , first let me say thank you for
stopping and sharing your story, using your voice to say what
it did for you.
But let me say this too manypeople don't stop long enough to
really think about you know,okay, well, I see the young
(44:53):
girls at whatever store andthey're selling cookies, that
type thing.
You never stop and think aboutthe troops.
You never stop to think, okay,you know well, I don't want
cookies right now because I'mtrying to lose weight or
whatever.
You may be thinking or whatever, but you can give a donation
and that donation can go veryfar.
You know, and I think that morepeople need to understand that
(45:15):
it is an organization and thatorganization has to run and
they're doing great things.
They're building up young womenfor our future that is going to
be in the boardrooms, is goingto be in the conference rooms
and is going to make decisionsthat could affect your life.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
Yes, yes, and especially with today's
isolation and mental healthchallenges and what the young
people call FOMO fear of missingout that they see on social
media all the time.
And am I living my best life?
My life doesn't look like whatsome influencer is putting on
(45:54):
Correct.
Then there's real life.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (45:57):
And Girl Scouts helps them do real life and see real
life and see real life.
And the other thing that Ithink it does for people is
parents and caregivers are veryconcerned about the amount of
screen time.
Well, one of the pillars of ourprogram is, like I said,
outdoor, stem, entrepreneurshipand life skills.
(46:21):
Those are the four pillars andlife skills those are the four
pillars.
So the outdoor piece is verybig.
A lot of people just don't gooutside much anymore.
They're in a room on a computerdoing something.
And a lot of young people arehaving health issues because of
that.
Speaker 3 (46:41):
Yes, because they're not being mobile, they're not
being active, they're not movingaround Because, know your
generation, my generation, wewere outside, well there was
nothing to do.
Yes, exactly, we get out andhave a good time and don't let
the light be home for the streetlight.
(47:01):
Yes, and that was the thing.
And riding bikes oh, oh yes,that type thing and being in
your community, being at theparks and all that kind of stuff
, and young people of today,they have no interest to that.
And I know that this is atouchy subject, but I'm about to
say it.
Covid did a doozy yes, it didOn these type organizations and
(47:22):
I want to use my platform to say, hey, how can we get back
involved?
How can we?
And it's not just buyingcookies.
Girl Scouts need volunteers,they need people to stand up and
say you know what, what help doyou need If that means taking
out the trash, if that meanswhatever?
And then they need people todonate in a great, consistent
(47:47):
way, Not donate just once a yearto make yourself feel better.
How about let's donate in aconsistent way?
And how can we get people toget back outside?
You know, as the young peoplesay, I'm outside.
Well, most of the time whenthey're talking about I'm
outside, it's not in thecommunity, it's more of partying
(48:09):
, that type of thing.
How has COVID affected and howcan people get involved?
Speaker 4 (48:17):
Well, there are all kinds of ways and pretty much,
if there's something you like todo, there's probably a badge
for it.
And you could help a trooplearn that activity, but I will
say that we need adult mentorswho are willing to help
volunteer.
(48:37):
They need adult mentors andlead troops.
You know, because, as I wastelling you before we started,
we don't ever have a problemfinding girls who want to be
Girl Scouts.
The thing that stops a girlfrom being a Girl Scout is a
place to belong in a troop.
(48:58):
Okay, now we're working onother ways that you can
experience it, because thatisn't for everyone.
But I also think we have tochange our idea of the fact that
a troop means you meet everyweek, and if I can't come every
week, I can't be a Girl Scout.
Well, troops don't have to meetevery week.
(49:19):
Troops meet once.
Some meet once a month, somemeet twice a week.
Twice a month, some of themfind out they like doing certain
kind of activities and that'sthe kind of activities they do.
But there is a place for people, but the caring adult is
(49:41):
required, yes, and you can't payenough people to do it, right?
I mean it's so you needvolunteers, yeah it's not like a
soccer team, where you pay acoach and you can drop them off
for practice.
Same thing for volleyball, oryou can drop them off with a
piano teacher or you pick yourthing.
(50:01):
This is a participatory sort ofexperience.
And so now and you don't haveto be the leader but a group of
parents, a group of caregivers,a group of people that aren't
even related to the girlsthey're willing to lead a troop
for church groups, sororities,just people who like to do
(50:28):
things, can really help make adifference in a young person's
life.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
And young people need mentors.
They need someone to speak lifein them and tell them that
they're going to make it, andthat's the thing that COVID
really took away from all of usis connection.
Speaker 4 (50:47):
It really did.
That's why I think it tookconnection away.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Go ahead.
What was you going to say?
Speaker 4 (50:50):
I was going to say that's why that Netflix thing
about join or die.
Yes, I mean especially afterCOVID, everybody went inside and
it's been hard to come back outand re-engage in that.
Speaker 3 (51:03):
Come out in a beneficial way, that you're
getting something fed into youthat is going to make you better
, and I think the Girl Scouts.
That's what you're trying to do.
You're trying to make peoplefind who they are, believe who
they are and then improve on howthey want their life to be.
Speaker 4 (51:27):
Yeah, and what I will say is I think we pour into the
adults that participate a lottoo, in a way that they don't
expect.
They're hungry for connectiontoo.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
They are.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
And then if they meet other caregivers and families
that they become friends withbecause they share this concern
for young girls.
That's a bonding experience andthe leaders themselves learn
new things when they try toteach badges, and so everybody's
(51:58):
learning and that's rolemodeling and leading as an adult
for showing a young person thatI don't know how to do this,
but we're going to figure it outtogether, so I think an adult
who volunteers with us can getjust as much out of it.
Speaker 3 (52:16):
Well, let me say this , One of the biggest things when
I was preparing for this, I waslike Girl Scouts brings
families together.
It brought my family together.
Do you agree with that?
Oh yeah, okay yeah, and I saidI need to challenge people and
tell people you know, bring your, your child, to Girl Scouts
(52:41):
Sacrifice.
I do understand that you've gotlife and everything is, you
know, hectic and all that, butyou can bring your family
together and you can prevent alot of things, because I am a
firm believer and my parentsbelieved if you keep your kids
busy, the chances of themgetting in trouble lessen.
Do you agree with?
Speaker 4 (53:01):
that, yes, I mean, that's what people say all the
time, and the one thing I willsay about Girl Scouts that I
think to your point aboutparents and being involved with
family.
If you want to spend time withyour child and you want to do
things that you can participatewith them in like you can't play
(53:25):
on the same team they play on.
It's great they can be on a team.
They can also be a Girl Scout.
Right, you can't play the pianobeside them?
Well, you can if you're in afaith community.
(53:48):
That a young person grows upwith Girl Scouts probably stays
with a person longer than aboutanything else.
So if you start when you're fiveand you can go till you're 18,
that's a long time, and so theother thing, and those values
are going to stick with you.
Well, the relationships, thesefamilies that have bonded
(54:11):
forever.
The other thing I will say Ilike to use the word and Let
Girl Scouts be your, and Okay,not your, or you don't have to
do either, or you can be aballerina and a Girl Scout.
(54:32):
You can be a five-star recruitand be a Girl Scout.
You can be a theater kid and aGirl Scout, and they will walk
alongside of you.
One of the things we tell ourtroop leaders is and I truly
believe this, because my boyswere Boy Scouts they're Eagle
Scouts, and so one of the thingsI heard a leader there say is
(54:59):
if your son wants to be a partof this, okay, as often as he
can come, he is welcome.
So don't feel like if you missa meeting they can't come back.
Speaker 3 (55:14):
And that's what is so great about being a Girl Scout,
because y'all always welcomepeople in, absolutely.
And as we get to the very endof this interview, let me just
say this how can we get to thevery end of this interview?
Let me just say this how canpeople get involved?
Is there a system or process?
Do they call?
Do they get on your site?
(55:36):
What do they do?
Speaker 4 (55:38):
Well, they can call, we're in the phone book, we're
on the internet, we're honey,we're all the ways, but it's
really Girl Scout.
So the Southern Appalachia.
And if you are a computer, ifyou've got a computer or a
smartphone or whatever, if youtype in Girl Scouts, knoxville
(55:59):
in your search bar, you willfind us.
Speaker 3 (56:02):
Girl Scouts.
Speaker 4 (56:02):
Knoxville.
Yeah, well, I mean you can,just if you put it.
It's really, our website is amouthful.
It's girlscoutcsaorg.
Say it one more time.
Girl Scout CSA Council ofSouthern Appalachia.
So it's girlscoutcsaorg and youcan find us.
Speaker 3 (56:26):
Well, I know that there are different things
that's going to come in thefuture, and I'm going to end it
like this I wish you wouldanswer this question.
Just tell us Just at least tellus what is new.
Is there any going to be newcookies?
What's going to be new to?
Speaker 4 (56:43):
Girl Scouts.
So there's always something newat girl scouts.
But the thing that I think youmight be most interested in,
based on the fact that thesecookies I brought you- earlier.
Speaker 3 (56:56):
We've talked about when.
I can't wait because we?
Speaker 4 (56:58):
because if you were a girl scout, you enjoyed selling
them definitely but there willbe a new cookie this coming
cookie season.
Do y'all hear.
So it is embargoed.
We don't know.
They will announce it.
Okay, but it comes up.
The national announcement willbe September the 9th.
Speaker 3 (57:21):
So September 9th, the big announcement, what's going
to be the new Girl Scout cookie?
Yes, and we're excited andwe're going to get involved.
I want my family to getinvolved and we are going to
come volunteer.
Speaker 4 (57:35):
Thank you.
I will say this I can't tellyou what it is, but I've tasted
it and you'll like it.
Speaker 3 (57:43):
Her approval.
Yes, you know the cookie'sgoing to be good.
Speaker 4 (57:46):
Yes, thank you so much for allowing us to come in.
Thank you so much for lettingme talk about Girl Scouts and
something that's near and dear.
I love Girl Scouts.
Speaker 3 (57:54):
I love Girl Scouts and I know that you're building
up great women.
That is going to soar in ourcommunity and if you ever need,
if you ever need us to come out,do anything, we will do it.
Thank you, and this door isalways open.
If there's ever a time that youneed a platform to talk about
(58:17):
Girl Scouts, the door is alwaysopen to you.
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (58:21):
Look what Girl Scouts did for you.
Speaker 3 (58:24):
It's been my pleasure , my pleasure too.
Tune in Friday at four.
Bye guys.
Speaker 1 (58:33):
Thanks for listening to Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonca
.
Watch out for our weeklyepisodes from the First Family
of Real Estate and check us outon the web
wwwyavoncasalesrealestatecom.
See our videos on Yvonca'sYouTube channel or find us on
Facebook under Yvonca Landis andTwitter at Yvonca Landis, and
(58:56):
don't forget to tell a friendabout us.
Until next time.
Yvonca signing off.
Check us out to hear the latest on life in the
volunteer state.
Yvonca and her guests discusseverything from life, love and
business with a Tennessee flair.
It's a Tennessee thing, alwaysrelatable, always relevant and
always a good time.
This is Talkin' Tennessee, andnow your host, yvonca.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
This episode is brought to you by the Landis
team, your go-to real estatefamily in East Tennessee.
If you are looking to buy orsell, we are the ones you should
call.
Give us a call at 865-660-1186or check out our website at
YvoncaSellsRealEstatecom.
That's YonneCa Y-V-O-N-N-C-ASalesRealEstatecom.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
Welcome back to Talking Tennessee with Yvonne Ca
.
I am your host and I'm herewith a dear friend that y'all
are going to love.
Her name is Lynn Fugit, fromthe Girl Scouts of the Southern
Appalachians.
Welcome to Talking Tennessee,thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (01:03):
I'm looking so forward to chatting with you
today.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Most definitely.
Well, the first question isprobably one of the most
important ones who is Lynn?
Speaker 4 (01:16):
Lynn is somebody who tries really hard to do the
right thing care about hercommunity, care about people.
Who enjoys relationships verymuch.
(01:37):
A relationship person.
I like being around people andI like staying busy.
Some people say that's too much, but I really like that, but
that's what makes you happy.
But yeah, I enjoy being activeinvolved in the community.
(02:02):
Truly, bloom where you'replanted.
Speaker 3 (02:04):
Bloom, where you're planted.
I agree with you Viewers.
Let me say this I have notknown her along, and when I say
my friend because I can tell youthis, we've been together for a
few minutes in this room beforewe came on here.
But I can totally see afriendship in you because your
(02:25):
spirit is so bright.
When you walked in the room,before you said anything, you
greeted me with a smile and youjust went into just being nice,
being kind and welcoming to yourplace.
What is it?
The Girl Scouts.
(02:46):
I was a Girl Scout when I was ayoung girl and the Girl Scouts
did a lot for me.
Lynn, I grew up in Harriman,tennessee, small town, 7,000
people, not a big city, but GirlScouts was big in Rome County
city, but Girl Scouts was big inRome County and it was one way
for the community to cometogether.
(03:07):
We brought bread together and alot of older women two younger
women really poured into me whenI was a Girl Scout and so
coming back, it's like what yousaid off camera, it's like a
surreal experience for mebecause y'all poured so much
(03:29):
into me.
So I want to say thank you.
Speaker 4 (03:31):
Certainly it's funny On behalf of anybody that's ever
been a Girl Scout.
I think we all feel that way.
I think you learn a lot thatyou didn't know.
You were learning when you wereyoung and on this side, when
you get a little age on you,maybe you really figure out some
of those silly activities ormaking a sit-upon or a bunsen
(03:57):
burner going hiking, just beingwith people.
It teaches you a lot that youdidn't know it was teaching you
at the time, and so I do.
I meet a lot of women say itreally is a full circle moment
because back when they come incontact again with Girl Scouts
it reminds them of all thewonderful things that happened
(04:21):
to them.
I mean, I have first Girl Scoutstories.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
Yes, and you know, the biggest thing that I would
say about this organization I'mtalking about from experience is
it didn't matter how much moneyyou had, it didn't matter where
you came from, the color ofyour skin, it didn't matter
about anything.
It was just if you were a younggirl that wanted to join an
(04:45):
organization and be fed and whenI say being fed, I'm not
talking about food, I'm talkingabout to your soul, because at
that time, when you first becomea Girl Scout, you don't know
who you are.
And it helps you to find out whoyou are at a young age and you
(05:05):
will change and transform.
But you learn the simple thingsof being a young girl and so
when I would sit down, when we'dcome to our meets and
everything and we'd do thecrafts, that was like everything
to me.
You know, I will say a lot ofpeople know the Girl Scouts for
different reasons.
(05:25):
One of the greatest reasons isthe cookies.
But Girl Scouts is more than acookie and I want to show on my
podcast what Girl Scouts reallydo.
Do you agree with me on that?
Oh, how?
Speaker 4 (05:40):
long do we have?
I mean, I absolutely agree andI'm glad you mentioned that,
because a lot of people thinkall we are is cookies, camp and
crafts.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Well, cookies camp and crafts can teach you a lot
of things.
Can the cookie program, though?
I think people really need tounderstand it is a fundraiser.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
It really is.
It is a fundraiser, it is afundraiser it really is.
Speaker 4 (06:04):
It is a fundraiser.
Girl Scout Council's about 75%to 80% of their operating budget
comes from the sale of cookies.
It's not just a nice product,right, women had to sell things
because they did not have theirown money.
Speak on it.
Men had jobs.
Men owned companies.
Men donated the money.
(06:24):
Speak on it.
Men had jobs.
Men owned companies, mendonated the money.
So when Girl Scouts started, theonly way a girl or a woman had
money for dues or to do anythingwas she asked her daddy or her
husband.
That's true, and so JulietGordon Lowe was truly a
(06:45):
trailblazer when she startedthis thing in 1912, before women
ever even had the right to vote.
1912.
1912.
And now you've got me wound upand I can talk about this for a
while, because it is such if youunderstand the history, you
understand why the organizationis the way it is and how much it
has changed and evolved withthe times and what girls have
(07:07):
learned.
Back then they learned a lot ofdomestic things and in the war
they were doing war work,learning first aid and all these
kind of things.
But back to the fundraisingpiece.
It really Juliette Gordon-Lowedecided that she wanted girls to
know how to raise money forthemselves, so that they didn't
(07:28):
always have to ask.
Well, women didn't have verymany jobs, so what girls do?
They sold things to raise money.
So in the 1940s a troop inOklahoma was the first troop
that baked cookies in theirovens and they started selling
cookies to fund the Girl Scouts.
(07:49):
And then, as that has gonealong, it became more
professional.
There are more Girl Scoutcouncils.
There are 111 of us across theUnited States and one in Girl
Scouts overseas for all ourmilitary bases.
And girls learn how to make aplan, how to set some goals.
(08:12):
You know they can earn rewards.
And then they learn how to talkto people.
Speaker 3 (08:17):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (08:20):
You'll see girls come out of their shell.
I joke and then we can talkabout something else if you want
to.
But I'm a finance major.
I was a banker forever and thenthis is my back nine of my
career.
I say I get to use all thatfinancial knowledge to run an
organization that is great forgirls and our community.
But that was your journey.
(08:41):
But that was my journey.
But what I thought so funny is,if you go to a cookie booth, I
challenge you this year.
Next time you go to a cookiebooth, okay, look for a career
path.
And who's at that cookie booth?
The girl that steps out infront and is talking to you and
asking you if you want to buycookies.
She's probably going to be insales or marketing.
She likes people.
She's out doing that.
(09:03):
The girl that will take yourmoney might be a financial
person.
She wants to make sure we gotpaid for that.
Keep all my money in place,make sure we know what we're
doing.
Then there's the girl who'smaking sure that the booth is
stocked and she'll be in theback looking in the wagon to see
(09:23):
if you need more s'mores or areyou running low on Thin Mints.
And then she might send herstaff the parent to the car to
get some more.
But I just watch.
I just look at those booths andsay I never thought about it
that way.
These girls are running a littlebusiness.
They are, and they don't evenknow it.
And that's the best way youlearn it's fun, and they don't
(09:47):
even know it.
And that's the best way youlearn it's fun.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
And you don't even know you're learning.
I truly agree and I think thatI think every young girl needs
to learn independence, that theyneed to know how to take care
of themselves.
And when you're in Girl Scouts,there are different exercises
and things that you do that your, your troop, is going to depend
(10:10):
on you for a certain thingright, and so I think that part
is what sets you apart.
You know, like what you werebreaking down at the booth, you
know so many young girls will goin finance, they will go into
putting things together.
And I will say this one thingthat sticks out to me when I was
(10:32):
a Girl Scout was community.
We went out in the community.
Yes, we helped build up ourcommunity and we made a
difference.
There were so many stories thatyou would hear while you're
sitting at the booth that youwould hear someone walk up and
say I was a Girl Scout, right,and they would tell their
experience as a Girl Scout andthey would talk about oh, when I
(10:54):
have a child, I want, if I havea daughter, I want my daughter
to be a Girl Scout.
It's just building yourcommunity.
You know, with a sweet treat itis.
You know, if you think about it,it's a sweet treat and we all
like to eat, you know.
But I think that it's buildingup confidence in women to say
you know what, you can take careof yourself and this is how you
(11:17):
do it, and let's teach theseyoung girls at a young age you
can make it.
Speaker 4 (11:22):
Yes, and to try something.
Try something, that's true,because the other thing I found
is you know, I tell people youcan be a Girl Scout and not love
camping out overnight.
That's me.
But I've done it.
I tried it, I didn't hate it, Iliked it, I learned a lot about
myself.
But that's the other thing.
(11:43):
If you're in a group with othergirls and you learn, I say this
is where we teach childrentoday that compromise is not a
dirty word.
Speaker 3 (11:54):
Right.
Speaker 4 (11:54):
Sometimes our grownups forget that, but it's
not a dirty word.
That's really how progress getsmade, you have to compromise,
and so somebody wants to do thisand somebody wants to do that,
and somebody else has an idea todo another badge they want to
work on.
Well, you try whateverso-and-so wants to work on.
You learn something about it,and then maybe you all come
(12:15):
together and say this is the onething we really all want to do,
and then that's great too, butyou just but you learn that at a
young age.
But you learn that at a youngage, and that is the beginning
of teaching civics, and theydon't even really know it.
Speaker 3 (12:29):
Yeah, but you know, the biggest thing is there are
so many boardrooms we go in,there are so many conference
rooms we go in and there's atable there and there's chairs
there.
That's a girl scout.
That's a Girl Scout If youthink about it.
So many women go in theboardrooms, have the positions
that they bring people togetherto make decisions, build things
(12:54):
and create things to strive inyour community.
And you learn that at a youngage as a Girl Scout.
Speaker 4 (13:04):
Yeah, and I'm sorry, I just clearly.
I like what I do, becausethere's so much I want to tell
you, because I think too, one ofthe things that the so the
fundraiser is also a fundraiserfor the troops, but a lot of
times what they do is they usetheir money to do community
service projects.
Speaker 3 (13:17):
And see, I don't think people stop to think about
that no, no.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
It's not talked about much.
I don't think communities haveany idea really how much is done
in their community by GirlScout troops.
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes, I agree.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
You'll see a buddy bench somewhere, or food that
gets taken to the animalshelters or creek cleanups or
things like that.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
litter pickups so viewers are you hearing what
she's saying?
She's telling you things thatGirl Scouts do out in the
community, that they don't raisetheir hand and say, look at me,
look at me, look at me, butthey help build up their
community.
So it's not about just thecookies.
The cookies are great, we alllove them and we all should buy
(14:02):
them, and I highly recommendthem because they got really
good flavors.
But Girl Scouts do way morethan that.
They strengthen women at a veryvital time in their life.
My next question is whatinspired you to come to Girl
Scouts?
You were in finance.
What made you want to do this?
Speaker 4 (14:28):
Scouts.
You were in finance.
What made you want to do this?
Well, as I told some youngwomen that I spoke to at the
Haslam School a long time ago,if you really want a great
career, always take the phonecall, because you never know
what opportunities on the otherside.
So I'm minding my own businessat my desk and I get a phone
call from a headhunter that saysGirl Scouts are looking for a
CEO.
Would you talk to us?
And I said sure, because I wasa Girl Scout Right and thought
(14:51):
it's a great organization.
Let's see.
And you know, learned about it.
And again I said you know I'vealways wanted to do something,
that I want to be good at what Ido, do the right thing.
Give back and bloom where you're, but I want to be good at what
I do, do the right thing andbloom where you're planted, give
back.
Well, girl Scouts taught me howto be a good citizen, and being
(15:13):
a good citizen is saying yesand finding opportunities where
you think you can make adifference.
And as we interviewed more, Ithought you know, I was a Girl
Scout.
I have worked in what have beenformerly traditionally male
fields.
(15:34):
I grew up my sister and I werethe only girls on our block with
12 little boys.
I raised two sons and I thoughtthis is a time for me to
actually get to do somethingthat will benefit girls, because
somebody did it for you when Iwas a Girl Scout.
(15:55):
And I also say and I thinkpeople really need to think
about this you know, I'm not theperson in our council that's
running summer camp.
I'm not the person in ourcouncil that's running summer
camp.
I'm not the person in ourcouncil that's running the troop
meetings.
But the gifts and talents Ihave I'm using to make sure that
(16:18):
the foundation is there so thatthe people who have the gifts I
don't have can then pour intothe girls.
Speaker 3 (16:27):
And you know what.
That's a good point, becauseI'm a believer that we're on
earth for a reason and I'm ofthe belief there's two types of
people there's givers andthere's takers.
There's givers and there'stakers and you got to figure out
which one you are and I hopeyou lean to going.
(16:48):
If you are a taker, you becomea giver and you get up every day
and you come in and, yes, it'syour job, but at the same time
you're giving back to yourcommunity and you're saying,
okay, I was a Girl Scout, youknow, I know what it's like
firsthand, and let me help buildup young women so that our
(17:10):
world is even better year afteryear.
You know that to me is saying,hey, I'm making a difference.
And I want to make a difference.
Speaker 4 (17:23):
Well, yes, it's just the right thing to do it is.
Because somebody's got to takemy place.
We really I served on the Boardof Education too, and my mother
was a teacher, grandmother, allthese people, and so I
understand how important it isfor people to pour into young
(17:46):
people, because we always sayteachers are building the future
.
Yes, you know, they are thefuture.
Well, it's more than theirresponsibility it is.
And so, again, that's where Italk about my gifts and talents.
I could be a PTA president, Icould be on the Board of
Education.
I could not teach in theclassroom.
Speaker 3 (18:07):
Right.
Speaker 4 (18:08):
So all that to say, I look around at who runs things.
We look around like who'srunning this, who's running that
?
A company, the Sunday schoolclass, any kind of community
organization.
It takes people to make ithappen.
(18:29):
It does.
And I look around and think,okay, who's going to replace
those of us that do that?
Well, we have to start teachingyoung people that you do and
you've got to come out of yourcomfort zone and you have to say
raise your hand.
Speaker 3 (18:43):
Yes, that's good, raise your hand.
You've got to come out of yourcomfort zone and you have to say
you know, raise your hand.
Yes, that's good, raise yourhand.
That is a good one.
And I'm going to tell you whyit's good, because I believe
that I say this on my FacebookLives all the time get off the
couch and do something.
And the reason why I say thatis you can't take, take, take.
(19:05):
And then say, okay, this worldis horrible.
It starts with you, has tostart with you of what am I
doing to try to make the world abetter place?
And if you never, if you justtake and I'm not saying we all
take care of our family and weall want to do all these
different things, but the truesacrifice is when you go out in
(19:28):
the community and you go help astranger that you don't know.
Of course you're going to wantto help your kids, of course
you're going to want to helpyour spouse, but I think the
real big thing that God islooking for us to do is are you
going to help the people in yourcommunity?
Are you going to listen tosomeone that needs to be heard?
(19:49):
You know, are you going to tellthis young girl, okay, that
thinks that she's not pretty?
Are you going to help thislittle girl find the beauty in
her.
That's what Girl Scouts to mereally helped me.
I wanted to share a story.
That's what Girl Scouts to mereally helped me.
I wanted to share a story whenI was in the Girl Scouts, I was
(20:10):
in gymnastics and I fell off thebeam just before I was coming
to Girl Scouts because my motherhad me in everything and I fell
off and I injured my hand.
So that meant Ivanka had to sitout and I'll never forget going
to our meet and all the younggirls is there or whatever, and
(20:30):
I was just really, really justbummed, sad.
I felt like I had let my teamdown.
I felt like I let my parentsdown.
I felt like I was just reallythe messed up kid for falling
off this bed.
The young people in our meet andthe parents that volunteered
(20:55):
spoke life in me literally dayin, day out.
But that first day when Ireally needed someone to say to
me it's going to be okay, it'sgoing to be okay Saying that to
somebody and really getting themto believe that that is a big
(21:17):
thing in young girls.
It's going to be okay, becausea lot of times when things
happen to young girls they thinkit's going to be.
You know it's going to destroyeverything in their life, you
know.
But we have to teach younggirls that it's going to be okay
.
And you know what If you have tosit out for two weeks, or I
can't remember how long I had tosit out, but the whole thing
(21:37):
was that everybody that wasthere was telling me I was going
to be okay and that I would getpast it.
And so that's what, girl Scouts, what sticks out in my mind.
I'll never forget that day, andso, to every person that was in
that room, thank you fortelling me it's going to be okay
, because there's been manytimes in my adult life that
(21:58):
something happened oh yeah, atragedy, a death or something
that somebody didn't tell me wasgoing to be okay.
But I remember when I heard itwas going to be okay as a Girl
Scout, and so that's anexperience for me.
Can you share a story that,when you were a Girl Scout, it
may not have been an it's goingto be okay moment, but a moment
(22:21):
that you'd say you know itreally showed me that I was
supposed to be in that roominstead of being wherever.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
Don't, I'm a little older than you.
Speaker 2 (22:32):
That's further back for me to think.
Speaker 4 (22:40):
So I'm not sure that I can think around, that is.
What we know is that girls areliving in even more difficult
times than you and I did.
I agree, and very judgmentaltimes and what they need are
people who say it'll be okay,and I've got you and you did
(23:00):
well and good for trying.
And a hug, and sometimes a kickin the pants if you need it.
Accountability, and quittelling yourself to feel sorry
for yourself.
Speaker 3 (23:11):
I agree.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
But I think that's what belonging is about, and
that's what Girl Scouts is about.
All young people need a senseof belonging.
They will find it in good thingsor in bad things, that is true,
and so we are the good thingthat they can find belonging in,
and I do think, talking abouthow you felt with the Girl
(23:36):
Scouts, that made me feel thatway.
I also know that from one ofthe last things they had us
watch as a pre-read before wewent to our Girl Scout national
meeting was a podcast.
(23:58):
No, it was a Netflixdocumentary called Join or Die,
join or Die, join or Die, andit's about the story, the
research that Robert Putnam did.
You've probably heard about him.
He wrote a book 20 years agocalled Bowling Alone how more
and more people are taking upactivities but they're doing it
(24:20):
alone, and that when our countrywas the strongest and community
was the strongest and peoplehad more confidence in the way
things were going, they were incommunity with one another yes
so, uh you, you're beginning tosee membership and organizations
(24:40):
drop and as that drops thesense of connectedness to other
people, drops the getting in mylittle space and I only talk to
people that look like me orthink
Speaker 3 (24:53):
like me or that speak on it and so um.
Speaker 4 (24:57):
That's why we use the word a lot belonging because
and everybody wants to feel likethey belong.
It's not where you are included, it's where you belong and uh
and that breaks what you saidyou experience racial religious
(25:18):
income.
You know it.
It's real easy to like somebodythat you do something with and,
oh, they may go to a differentchurch or they may not go to
church, or they may do it, butyou like them, they're a good
person and you can talk to themabout things and it stretches
you and it stretches them and itis better for community.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
It really is, and you've got to have some
leadership.
What does Girl Scoutsleadership mean in today's world
?
Your opinion?
Speaker 4 (25:51):
Well, I think as an organization, we are a leader in
understanding girls and we aredesigned our whole program is
designed around thedevelopmental progress of a girl
.
So I've talked about you knowall the different things Like
(26:13):
you can learn STEM, outdoor lifeskills, and one of the life
skill things that's really nearand dear to me is basically our
citizenship or our democracybadges.
Well, developmentdevelopmentally.
You can earn that in every agegroup because you learn a little
bit about it as a daisy andthen as a brownie yeah so you're
(26:35):
learning more and more and moreabout these same tracks as you
get older.
So I think there's leadershipand understanding girl
development, okay.
And then there is leadership inspeaking about what girls need,
but what the girl is getting islearning how to lead based on
(27:01):
who she is, because you can leadin lots of different ways.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
You don't always have to be in the front of the room
you don't, and so, leading fromthe chair, you're in and I think
a lot of times people think Ithink a lot of young girls think
they have to be pushed outthere.
There is a lot of things thaton the back end of it you, you
(27:29):
bring together any event,there's going to be people on
the back end, the front end, themiddle end.
Every and every one of thosepeople are important because
it's for the greater good andeverybody coming together to
make that event or whatever itis successful.
But if you think that, oh, ifI'm not on the front, I'm on the
(27:52):
back, I'm less than.
That's the one thing that GirlScouts does not teach you.
Girl Scouts teaches you thateverybody's important, yes,
everybody's position isimportant.
Speaker 4 (28:02):
Yes, you know we don't necessarily talk a lot
about football at Girl Scouts,but we do live in East Tennessee
, so we all know about football.
But you know it's like everyposition on any sport.
Every position is valuable orit wouldn't be there, it
(28:23):
wouldn't be.
And so that's the same way thatyou learn in a company, in your
family, in your church or yoursynagogue or your mosque, any
place that you, your house ofworship, any organization you
belong to, everybody's got arole.
I joke around here that Istrike fear in the heart when I
(28:45):
walk in somebody's office andsay I've been thinking and
they're like, oh my gosh.
Speaker 3 (28:49):
They're like oh Lord, here she goes, here she comes.
What is she going to come upwith now?
But they all joke.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
It's like that is my job.
It is, that is my job.
Other people's job here is tosay, lynn, that sounds great,
but we've got to make thishappen and this happen and this
happen, and I'm not sure that wecan do that the timeline you
want, but it's not.
Oh, what are you talking about?
It's let's figure this out.
(29:14):
Will this work?
And you can't not tell yourself, well, they're the negative
Nelly telling me no, no, they'retrying to make sure I don't go
running out into I-40.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Are y'all hearing what she's saying?
Because I think a lot of timesnowadays, if you don't agree
with someone, people take it aspersonal, they take it as a hit.
You know that type thing.
But sometimes you need someoneto tell you you may have the
best idea, okay, but it may notbe the time, you know, and
(29:51):
timing is everything.
And what she's saying is isthat, okay, she may have an idea
, but she's going to go to herstaff and say, hey, here's the
idea, and she knows her staff isthe ones is going to help her,
look at the logistics of it allto see if it can be pulled off.
But if you never allow yourselfto be told, okay, no, this may
(30:15):
not be the time, or whatever,that's not saying no, it's just
saying time is everything.
Speaker 4 (30:21):
And it's also, as a leader, my opportunity sometimes
to tell people, yeah, we can.
Yes, yeah, you can stretchyourself, you can do it.
Speaker 3 (30:30):
You can do it and you have to hold people accountable
on not saying we can't do itbecause you're wanting to,
because they're scared.
Because they're scared, andsome people will call it lazy or
somebody will call it whateverwords you want to use, but it
could be anything, you know.
But don't ask somebody else'sdream because you're scared of
(30:52):
something, and I think that GirlScouts teaches us that Give and
take, give and take, it's agive and take thing.
Speaker 4 (31:00):
So tell me this how do you help young girls become a
leader in these days?
Well, I think just that themethodology of the troop meeting
, learning to find your voice,saying what you want to do, and
(31:21):
I love the story that I heard ofone troop that they were
seniors.
And by the time those girlsbecame seniors in high school
they were an amalgamation ofgirls that started all over this
county in different brownietroops.
They liked Girl Scouts and, asgirls, started falling away to
(31:41):
do different things.
So the way they led was by thetime they were all working on
their gold award, which is thehighest award a Girl Scout can
earn.
They helped listen to eachother while they worked on their
project.
They encouraged the girl whowas doing her own, and then they
supported whatever herinterests were, and then they
(32:02):
supported whatever her interestswere Okay, and so I think that
tells me we've taught girls thatyou lead also by cheering one
another on yes and not comparing.
And it doesn't even have to bewhat you like.
But, if you care about theperson and you lead the other
way.
We teach them to lead issometimes it's your
(32:24):
responsibility to plan theactivity and if something you
forgot to get something, well,that's a life lesson.
You learned the other thing inthe planning of these service
projects.
They do the bronze award, thesilver award and the gold award.
So bronze awards are done bytroops when they're in fourth
and fifth grade and they pick acommunity issue that they want
(32:47):
to work on and they plan howthey're going to do it and
they'll do a project.
So it's a lot of learn by doingleadership, by figuring out
what you want to do, how youhave to do it.
A gold award you find acommunity mentor to help you
work on your project and youhave to plan it, raise the funds
(33:14):
to implement it and thenexecute it, and it has to be
something that is sustainable.
Speaker 3 (33:30):
Okay, and so just putting that together is
leadership?
It is, and you can take thoseteachings throughout your life,
because being a leader, there'sdifferent types of leaders.
There's a young leader tobecoming an adult and leading in
a different way, even in age40s, to 50s to 60s and going on.
I think that a lot of peopledon't realize that you learn how
(33:53):
to lead even better and perfecthow being a leader the older
you get, do you agree?
Speaker 4 (34:00):
Well, yes, practice about everything makes you
better.
So the more you practice, thatI also think we teach g irls to
lead by learning to fail.
Speaker 3 (34:10):
Speak on it.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
Well, again, I told you, like I learned, that there
are some things that I don'treally like, but I was
challenged to try them.
Speaker 3 (34:22):
Okay, and you've got to have people that will
challenge, yes, and I think alot of times people will want
success, but there's a lot ofchallenge in success.
Before you get there, you willbe challenged it depends on what
you call fail.
Speaker 4 (34:40):
I mean, fail is just, you know, did you fail or did
you just mess up and now you trya different way?
So I love to talk about this.
Looking at girls at summer campwith our rock climbing tower
Okay, rock climbing tower and ifyou are ever out there, when a
(35:03):
troop is out there and they'relearning to do this, there'll be
girls that are ready to gorunning at the top.
And then there'll be girls likeme that waited and watched.
I don't think I can do that.
I don't want to do that.
I'm scared to do that.
I'll look stupid.
I can't get up there.
I might be too heavy.
(35:24):
I don't know if I can do that.
Speak on it and they just say,yeah, you can, yeah, you can.
And the absolute mayhem thatbreaks out when the last girl
who thought she couldn't do itdoes it.
Girls are happier for her thanthey are for themselves.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
Do you hear that I was about to say?
I bet you?
They're all cheering her on.
And let me just say this as awoman, you know we have our
insecurities and you've got tosurround yourself with people
that are going to hold youaccountable but at the same time
they're going to love on youand they're going to speak life
(36:09):
in you in ways that, even whenyou feel defeated because
they're speaking life in you, itmakes you want to get up and do
even better things.
Do you agree with?
Speaker 4 (36:22):
that, yes, and I think the other thing that we're
teaching girls about leadershipthrough that example I've just
gave you is that success is nota finite.
There's not a finite amountother people can succeed to so
you can cheer each other on.
I mean, there used to be thisscarcity mindset If I made it to
(36:45):
the boardroom, I was going tobe the only woman that made it
to the boardroom, or if I becamethe first vice president of
whatever.
Well, there'd only be one femaleat the executive table, and I
better make sure I hang on tothat.
I think what we're teachinggirls by cheering one another on
(37:09):
is that there's room at the topfor everybody.
Speaker 3 (37:12):
It really is.
And I heard someone say and Ispeak on this quite often as an
example I heard someone say tome one day I want to own the
table.
And to me that was jarring tome and I'm going to tell you why
.
Because I'm like then if you'resaying you want to own the
table, then that means you don'twant anybody else's opinion,
(37:35):
you want it to all be your way.
And to me that's ego driven, tosay that why not have a table
full of really strong peoplethat is working together to
succeed together, to me, that'sbetter.
You know, for everybody tosucceed, why do you need to own
the table?
You know, because you're goingto be by yourself eventually.
Speaker 4 (38:00):
Yeah, I mean, one of the things that you hear from
great business leaders or greatleaders is surround themselves
with really great leaders too.
Speaker 3 (38:09):
And like-minded.
Speaker 4 (38:10):
And just people that challenge you and encourage you
to make you better.
But I think that's reallyimportant for girls to
understand that you can lead indifferent ways.
Speaker 3 (38:29):
Everybody's got their own style, I agree um, and
sometimes you need to adjust,even in relationships and
friendships.
You know it doesn't meansomeone is a bad friend or
anything like that, butsometimes you outgrow each other
and you could.
You can still cheer that personon, even if it's from afar, and
I think that you learn a lotabout yourself.
(38:52):
Yes, you learn a lot aboutyourself and you learn that you
can like different things.
I can.
I'm in my fifties and I know,with a shadow of a doubt, the
woman I was in my forties.
I'm a better woman in my 50s,not saying that I was a bad
woman in my 40s, but I justlearned a lot, you know and did.
(39:15):
Did I fail at things?
Probably yeah, but it was okay,because everything is not made
for you, valka, and I had to tryit to see if it was for me.
Speaker 4 (39:27):
See, that was a Girl Scout coming out in you.
Speaker 3 (39:29):
You see what I'm saying Try it and move on.
You got to try it.
And if I can say anything toyoung girls out here and women
out here, older women, you gotto try things to be able to know
what you can do.
And let's talk about thecookies oh what the cookies.
(39:50):
Please tell my viewers what allthe cookie drive does well, it
pays for everything.
Speaker 4 (39:59):
Do y'all hear that?
I mean, um, again, about 75percent of a 75 to 80% in some
councils even more.
All the money that funds thecamp properties, the offices,
the professional staff, theactivities that girls get to do,
(40:20):
all those things come from thecookie.
You know, yes, there's privatephilanthropy.
We need more than that and weneed more people to donate to
Girl Scouts as a philanthropy.
A lot of people think, oh, thecookies pay for it all.
No 75%, and we would prefer notto depend that much on the
(40:43):
cookie, but less than 2% of allphilanthropic dollars in the
United States are spent on girlorganizations.
Really Less than 2% Of allphilanthropic dollars.
Speaker 3 (40:58):
Are y'all?
Speaker 4 (40:59):
hearing that.
So not an excuse, it's just weneed to have more people
understand that Girl Scouts is aphilanthropy, not just a retail
cookie market.
Speaker 3 (41:14):
Are y'all hearing?
Speaker 4 (41:14):
that we are a 501c3 nonprofit and, like all
nonprofits, it takes funds torun.
Speaker 2 (41:24):
It does.
Speaker 4 (41:25):
And so girls, like I said just, traditionally raised
the money by selling a product,and they're learning how to do
business, yes, and it isbusiness Good business One of
the things I love about you know.
back in the day, you know, youjust walked around door to door.
That was the only way to sellthem Right.
(41:46):
And then they came up withorder cards and you started
using the network of yourfriends and family or going to
church and taking an order cardand that kind of thing.
Well, now our girls arelearning omni-channel marketing.
You know that buzzword.
Everybody says that they selldigitally.
Speaker 3 (42:05):
I did not know that buzzword everybody says so, they
sell digitally and they have.
I did not.
Speaker 4 (42:06):
Yes, yes, and then they have retail operations with
a booth and they?
Speaker 3 (42:12):
um.
So when you see the girl scoutcookies at the walmart's and all
the different stores that outthere just know to support Girl
Scouts, buy at least three, fourboxes at a time, or whatever
you can afford, but just knowit's going to a great cause.
(42:33):
You were about to say something.
Speaker 4 (42:34):
I was about to say and if you don't eat cookies or
you don't like cookies, or theOzempic effect makes you think
you don't need a cookie, westill want a cookie.
What I will say is one of thethings that we do is we ask
folks to make a donation and thecookies that we own that you
(42:57):
didn't want to take home withyou, we give to Friends of the
Troop and they mail thosecookies all across the world to
our service, men and womendeployed and did y'all know that
places?
we also to put a smile on ontroops faces oh yes, and and
make them feel a sense of homeoh, yes, I'll interrupt this
(43:21):
announcement to tell you about astory.
Go ahead.
So I was.
We were having a meeting oneday and somebody the head of
marketing came and said there'sa gentleman out here working on
our computers and he'd like tospeak to you.
And I thought, oh, he's goingto tell me I need a whole new
system or something, and you'relike, oh, I don't need that
(43:43):
today.
I don't know if I want to talkto him.
And I walked out and he saidma'am, you don't know me, but I
want you to know that I wasdeployed to Afghanistan and when
Girl Scout cookies came, itmade us feel like home had come.
(44:04):
Well, he got teary, I got teary.
I could be teary right now if Idon't watch it, watch myself.
And he just said I don't thinkyou know how much that meant to
me and the men I served with.
We couldn't tell the peoplethat actually sent it to us, but
(44:28):
I just wanted you to know,because I bet y'all do it too.
Speaker 3 (44:33):
So for that gentleman , first let me say thank you for
stopping and sharing your story, using your voice to say what
it did for you.
But let me say this too manypeople don't stop long enough to
really think about you know,okay, well, I see the young
(44:53):
girls at whatever store andthey're selling cookies, that
type thing.
You never stop and think aboutthe troops.
You never stop to think, okay,you know well, I don't want
cookies right now because I'mtrying to lose weight or
whatever.
You may be thinking or whatever, but you can give a donation
and that donation can go veryfar.
You know, and I think that morepeople need to understand that
(45:15):
it is an organization and thatorganization has to run and
they're doing great things.
They're building up young womenfor our future that is going to
be in the boardrooms, is goingto be in the conference rooms
and is going to make decisionsthat could affect your life.
Speaker 4 (45:31):
Yes, yes, and especially with today's
isolation and mental healthchallenges and what the young
people call FOMO fear of missingout that they see on social
media all the time.
And am I living my best life?
My life doesn't look like whatsome influencer is putting on
(45:54):
Correct.
Then there's real life.
Speaker 3 (45:56):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (45:57):
And Girl Scouts helps them do real life and see real
life and see real life.
And the other thing that Ithink it does for people is
parents and caregivers are veryconcerned about the amount of
screen time.
Well, one of the pillars of ourprogram is, like I said,
outdoor, stem, entrepreneurshipand life skills.
(46:21):
Those are the four pillars andlife skills those are the four
pillars.
So the outdoor piece is verybig.
A lot of people just don't gooutside much anymore.
They're in a room on a computerdoing something.
And a lot of young people arehaving health issues because of
that.
Speaker 3 (46:41):
Yes, because they're not being mobile, they're not
being active, they're not movingaround Because, know your
generation, my generation, wewere outside, well there was
nothing to do.
Yes, exactly, we get out andhave a good time and don't let
the light be home for the streetlight.
(47:01):
Yes, and that was the thing.
And riding bikes oh, oh yes,that type thing and being in
your community, being at theparks and all that kind of stuff
, and young people of today,they have no interest to that.
And I know that this is atouchy subject, but I'm about to
say it.
Covid did a doozy yes, it didOn these type organizations and
(47:22):
I want to use my platform to say, hey, how can we get back
involved?
How can we?
And it's not just buyingcookies.
Girl Scouts need volunteers,they need people to stand up and
say you know what, what help doyou need If that means taking
out the trash, if that meanswhatever?
And then they need people todonate in a great, consistent
(47:47):
way, Not donate just once a yearto make yourself feel better.
How about let's donate in aconsistent way?
And how can we get people toget back outside?
You know, as the young peoplesay, I'm outside.
Well, most of the time whenthey're talking about I'm
outside, it's not in thecommunity, it's more of partying
(48:09):
, that type of thing.
How has COVID affected and howcan people get involved?
Speaker 4 (48:17):
Well, there are all kinds of ways and pretty much,
if there's something you like todo, there's probably a badge
for it.
And you could help a trooplearn that activity, but I will
say that we need adult mentorswho are willing to help
volunteer.
(48:37):
They need adult mentors andlead troops.
You know, because, as I wastelling you before we started,
we don't ever have a problemfinding girls who want to be
Girl Scouts.
The thing that stops a girlfrom being a Girl Scout is a
place to belong in a troop.
(48:58):
Okay, now we're working onother ways that you can
experience it, because thatisn't for everyone.
But I also think we have tochange our idea of the fact that
a troop means you meet everyweek, and if I can't come every
week, I can't be a Girl Scout.
Well, troops don't have to meetevery week.
(49:19):
Troops meet once.
Some meet once a month, somemeet twice a week.
Twice a month, some of themfind out they like doing certain
kind of activities and that'sthe kind of activities they do.
But there is a place for people, but the caring adult is
(49:41):
required, yes, and you can't payenough people to do it, right?
I mean it's so you needvolunteers, yeah it's not like a
soccer team, where you pay acoach and you can drop them off
for practice.
Same thing for volleyball, oryou can drop them off with a
piano teacher or you pick yourthing.
(50:01):
This is a participatory sort ofexperience.
And so now and you don't haveto be the leader but a group of
parents, a group of caregivers,a group of people that aren't
even related to the girlsthey're willing to lead a troop
for church groups, sororities,just people who like to do
(50:28):
things, can really help make adifference in a young person's
life.
Speaker 3 (50:32):
And young people need mentors.
They need someone to speak lifein them and tell them that
they're going to make it, andthat's the thing that COVID
really took away from all of usis connection.
Speaker 4 (50:47):
It really did.
That's why I think it tookconnection away.
Speaker 3 (50:49):
Go ahead.
What was you going to say?
Speaker 4 (50:50):
I was going to say that's why that Netflix thing
about join or die.
Yes, I mean especially afterCOVID, everybody went inside and
it's been hard to come back outand re-engage in that.
Speaker 3 (51:03):
Come out in a beneficial way, that you're
getting something fed into youthat is going to make you better
, and I think the Girl Scouts.
That's what you're trying to do.
You're trying to make peoplefind who they are, believe who
they are and then improve on howthey want their life to be.
Speaker 4 (51:27):
Yeah, and what I will say is I think we pour into the
adults that participate a lottoo, in a way that they don't
expect.
They're hungry for connectiontoo.
Speaker 3 (51:37):
They are.
Speaker 4 (51:38):
And then if they meet other caregivers and families
that they become friends withbecause they share this concern
for young girls.
That's a bonding experience andthe leaders themselves learn
new things when they try toteach badges, and so everybody's
(51:58):
learning and that's rolemodeling and leading as an adult
for showing a young person thatI don't know how to do this,
but we're going to figure it outtogether, so I think an adult
who volunteers with us can getjust as much out of it.
Speaker 3 (52:16):
Well, let me say this , One of the biggest things when
I was preparing for this, I waslike Girl Scouts brings
families together.
It brought my family together.
Do you agree with that?
Oh yeah, okay yeah, and I saidI need to challenge people and
tell people you know, bring your, your child, to Girl Scouts
(52:41):
Sacrifice.
I do understand that you've gotlife and everything is, you
know, hectic and all that, butyou can bring your family
together and you can prevent alot of things, because I am a
firm believer and my parentsbelieved if you keep your kids
busy, the chances of themgetting in trouble lessen.
Do you agree with?
Speaker 4 (53:01):
that, yes, I mean, that's what people say all the
time, and the one thing I willsay about Girl Scouts that I
think to your point aboutparents and being involved with
family.
If you want to spend time withyour child and you want to do
things that you can participatewith them in like you can't play
(53:25):
on the same team they play on.
It's great they can be on a team.
They can also be a Girl Scout.
Right, you can't play the pianobeside them?
Well, you can if you're in afaith community.
(53:48):
That a young person grows upwith Girl Scouts probably stays
with a person longer than aboutanything else.
So if you start when you're fiveand you can go till you're 18,
that's a long time, and so theother thing, and those values
are going to stick with you.
Well, the relationships, thesefamilies that have bonded
(54:11):
forever.
The other thing I will say Ilike to use the word and Let
Girl Scouts be your, and Okay,not your, or you don't have to
do either, or you can be aballerina and a Girl Scout.
(54:32):
You can be a five-star recruitand be a Girl Scout.
You can be a theater kid and aGirl Scout, and they will walk
alongside of you.
One of the things we tell ourtroop leaders is and I truly
believe this, because my boyswere Boy Scouts they're Eagle
Scouts, and so one of the thingsI heard a leader there say is
(54:59):
if your son wants to be a partof this, okay, as often as he
can come, he is welcome.
So don't feel like if you missa meeting they can't come back.
Speaker 3 (55:14):
And that's what is so great about being a Girl Scout,
because y'all always welcomepeople in, absolutely.
And as we get to the very endof this interview, let me just
say this how can we get to thevery end of this interview?
Let me just say this how canpeople get involved?
Is there a system or process?
Do they call?
Do they get on your site?
(55:36):
What do they do?
Speaker 4 (55:38):
Well, they can call, we're in the phone book, we're
on the internet, we're honey,we're all the ways, but it's
really Girl Scout.
So the Southern Appalachia.
And if you are a computer, ifyou've got a computer or a
smartphone or whatever, if youtype in Girl Scouts, knoxville
(55:59):
in your search bar, you willfind us.
Speaker 3 (56:02):
Girl Scouts.
Speaker 4 (56:02):
Knoxville.
Yeah, well, I mean you can,just if you put it.
It's really, our website is amouthful.
It's girlscoutcsaorg.
Say it one more time.
Girl Scout CSA Council ofSouthern Appalachia.
So it's girlscoutcsaorg and youcan find us.
Speaker 3 (56:26):
Well, I know that there are different things
that's going to come in thefuture, and I'm going to end it
like this I wish you wouldanswer this question.
Just tell us Just at least tellus what is new.
Is there any going to be newcookies?
What's going to be new to?
Speaker 4 (56:43):
Girl Scouts.
So there's always something newat girl scouts.
But the thing that I think youmight be most interested in,
based on the fact that thesecookies I brought you- earlier.
Speaker 3 (56:56):
We've talked about when.
I can't wait because we?
Speaker 4 (56:58):
because if you were a girl scout, you enjoyed selling
them definitely but there willbe a new cookie this coming
cookie season.
Do y'all hear.
So it is embargoed.
We don't know.
They will announce it.
Okay, but it comes up.
The national announcement willbe September the 9th.
Speaker 3 (57:21):
So September 9th, the big announcement, what's going
to be the new Girl Scout cookie?
Yes, and we're excited andwe're going to get involved.
I want my family to getinvolved and we are going to
come volunteer.
Speaker 4 (57:35):
Thank you.
I will say this I can't tellyou what it is, but I've tasted
it and you'll like it.
Speaker 3 (57:43):
Her approval.
Yes, you know the cookie'sgoing to be good.
Speaker 4 (57:46):
Yes, thank you so much for allowing us to come in.
Thank you so much for lettingme talk about Girl Scouts and
something that's near and dear.
I love Girl Scouts.
Speaker 3 (57:54):
I love Girl Scouts and I know that you're building
up great women.
That is going to soar in ourcommunity and if you ever need,
if you ever need us to come out,do anything, we will do it.
Thank you, and this door isalways open.
If there's ever a time that youneed a platform to talk about
(58:17):
Girl Scouts, the door is alwaysopen to you.
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (58:21):
Look what Girl Scouts did for you.
Speaker 3 (58:24):
It's been my pleasure , my pleasure too.
Tune in Friday at four.
Bye guys.
Speaker 1 (58:33):
Thanks for listening to Talkin' Tennessee with Yvonca
.
Watch out for our weeklyepisodes from the First Family
of Real Estate and check us outon the web
wwwyavoncasalesrealestatecom.
See our videos on Yvonca'sYouTube channel or find us on
Facebook under Yvonca Landis andTwitter at Yvonca Landis, and
(58:56):
don't forget to tell a friendabout us.
Until next time.
Yvonca signing off.
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